1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to display devices, display methods, and programs and, more particularly, to a display device, a display method, and a program, which are capable of presenting preferred information in accordance with user preferences.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, with the increase in size of liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and plasma display panels (PDPs) and the development of communication technology, not only TV programs but also various pictures downloaded over the Internet or an in-house local area network (LAN) have come to be viewed on such displays.
This allows, for example, pictures that are photographed by a camera mounted at a remote site and downloaded over the Internet and pictures stored on a personal computer to be centrally managed and viewed regardless of their sources.
In order for a user to conveniently and efficiently view such pictures with a variety of information on one display, it is indispensable to set the display position and display size of the information.
Technologies for setting the display position and the like on displays are disclosed in the following patent documents.
Patent Document 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 5-289840, pages 5 and 6, FIGS. 8 and 9) discloses a technology in which a user can set the content and the display position of information displayed in each of a plurality of windows on a screen.
Patent Document 2 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 6-282396, pages 3 to 5, FIGS. 2 and 3) discloses a technology in which a user can customize the display representing, for example, the position where an event occurs without altering the application.
However, with the technologies disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, there is a problem in that the setting of the display position or the display size of information cannot be switched to another size or position upon the occurrence of a predetermined event; and, therefore, the user is not made aware of the occurrence of the event.